TIME SQUAD THROUGH ROBOT'S EYES: Lance story
by Frederica99Bernkastel
Summary: What happened to Lance before, during and after Time Squad events? Drama, angst.
1. Chapter 1

**OOC: Hello everyone! I reupload every Time Squad stories for the third time. I needed a beta reader to correct it and alegriamarkerbox accepted to help me in this^^ Read her stories they are so great. It involves usually Lewis and Clark and they are awesome!**

 **Good reading. I like your reviews. I don't own Time Squad**

Chapter 1

If Larry could choose a word to describe his life, it would be this: busy.

Year 100, 000, 000 AD. Time had passed so quickly that no one even counted the years anymore, that calendars had been deleted from all computers. What did it matter? It wasn't like the Earth would die one day. In such a time, the word problem no longer existed.

Well, at least, for most of people, there were no problems. That wasn't Larry's case.

He silently watched Queen Jezebel dressing herself in front of a big mirror. Larry immediately noticed her make-up: simple and plain. "How do I look?" She asked, without tearing her eyes from her mirror.

"Your Majesty, may I advise a more noticeable eye shadow? After all, today's meeting is very important. England and France will ratify a peace treaty after so many years of arguments. You shall be presentable, official. Simple and plain would display lack of interest."

"Sheesh. And yet, every single time I have to appear on TV, I have to look simple and plain to look more responsible."

Nevertheless, she obeyed. Queen Jezebel was somewhat childish, but Larry was the one who knew the most about relationships between countries. England and France had a poor relationship with one other. It was time that they ratified this peace treaty. This way, everyone would come back home earlier.

Larry was dressed in a fine black suit. He didn't like it much, but he was a diplomat. He worked under this Queen, for this government. They weren't at a high school party, though he hoped that some punch would be served after this ceremony.

Someone knocked at the door. A guard came in. "Your Majesty. King Louis XXXX and his wife, Queen Aurelia, have arrived."

"Fine. Let's go, Larry."

Larry nodded and followed her, a bit anxious about this meeting. Anyway, diplomats were always anxious when it came to these parts. The peace treaty between England and France would be the fourteenth this month. Relationships had definitely improved. However, it didn't mean that war would not appear the day after.

In the lounge, King Louis XXXX and Queen Aurelia were waiting for them. While Queen Jezebel was greeting them, Larry searched for Senator Fiskmeyer. He found him in one corner of the lounge, leaning against one wall. Once Larry greeted French diplomats, he went to sit down with him.

"So…How What do you think things are going?" He asked to his employer and mentor, since Fiskmeyer had taught him every matter of diplomacy during his career. Now, they had been equals for ten years.

"Queen Jezebel looks too condescending. One mistake and King Louis will lose his temper" Fiskmeyer sighed.

"Well…Hopefully they will not put any salt in our drinks when we will end this."

Larry chuckled. They watched the scene. Queen Jezebel looked bitter and condescending but the moment Queen Aurelia complimented her nice dress and make-up, she softened. He smiled. Fiskmeyer had chosen the dress, Larry had chosen make-up. He came a bit closer to Fiskmeyer.

"I guess it will be a nice evening."

* * *

They teleported back to the satellite once they got Philippe Le Bel arresting Templiers. XJ5 glanced at his partner. Dylan simply sat down on the sofa to watch TV.

"We weren't really bad this time"

"Unfortunately, we didn't warn Philippe Le Bel about his future curse." Dylan shrugged. "Let's be honest, I'm not fond of these parts of history."

"Me neither." XJ5 bitterly sighed. The King had been rather kind to them, despite mistakes he committed (or would be about to commit in a matter of perspective). He greeted them and told them about his dreams of discovering new worlds. Unfortunately this part belonged to Christophe Colomb.

He stared at Dylan while he was writing the report about their mission. The two of them had been a good team since they had met five years ago. Dylan was a professional person and XJ5 was lucky having such a partner, especially when others Time Squad officers looked retarded to him. He crossed the path of one who didn't even hold a weapon. Fortunately, Dylan wasn't part of them. He would do everything to have the mission done.

XJ5 liked his job since it had been the first job he got as a robot. Before, robots were only around to do chores, staying at home to cook, clean, and take care of their masters. Some rights had been opened since Queen Jezebel was an influential figure on International Society. Thanks to her, others governments granted more rights to robots, allowing them to get a job on their own without needing authorization from their masters. They could live on their own, though jobs were needed to get any replacement parts or oil, for that matter.

So he chose Time Squad. He didn't need anything else. His program and abilities had been asked for on missions, and he was always praised for it. Though it was also about Dylan and his perfect leadership, they were one of most efficient teams in Time Squad.

Suddenly, while the TV was showing the Peace Treaty between England and France, an explosion was heard on the screen. XJ5 quickly joined Dylan to watch.

* * *

"What's happening? Look like gunshots have been heard."

"An attack? What's happening? Cameras. Stay on! Stay on!"

Lance didn't need to be asked twice. The moment he heard a gunshot, he turned into a massive bulletproof car where King Louis and Queen Aurelia were immediately brought to protect themselves from any attack. Lance started up to quickly drive them away. He knew about all procedures; he didn't ask questions, he just obeyed.

He didn't work for the French government. He worked for every of them, in a Company for Protection and Security. Lance owned a very powerful internal drive, making him advanced enough to turn into almost anything: a car, a motorbike, or a plane. In order to reassure distressed monarchs, he put on music and served them some lemonade.

"Lance 9 Trillion…" King Louis paled, his voice trembling. "Please…We need to understand what happened."

Lance nodded, then replaced the music with the news. Everything was about the explosion which happened in Queen Jezebel's Parliament. Nevertheless, two minutes passed before someone said, "It's okay, guys! It was only about the burnt supper. The alarm went off because of it."

King Louis and Aurelia sighed, out of relief. However, the peace treaty was reported. Lance didn't mind it. It wasn't his role to worry about these things. He only was there to protect. He smiled to himself. Once again, he was reliable. Once again, the day had been great. These kinds of situations were always good for business. Maybe one day, he would actually do something else, like serving the government on a real battlefield, fighting. Not for the government, but for himself.

He wanted to show everyone how good he was…and how dangerous he could be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 : Love is only a phase**

After yesterday's incident, a new peace treaty had been made. Lance learned about it in the newspaper. England and France ratified it, just like the others countries before: China, Japan, the United States…At one point, there would be no more wars. Maybe there would still ne terrorist attacks, but they would become more rare.

Lance sighed. He wondered if at one point, they would re-program him to become a more docile robot to serve his master. This idea almost made him puke. No way. No way he would serve these humans. He tolerated them at best. Even though he worked with them, he was their equal. Not a slave. Nothing.

His technology was very advanced, after all. They wouldn't dare.

"Lance!" a voice called. Lance frowned, hearing his employer. "Come in my office."

Lance shrugged and threw the newspaper in trashcan. He opened the office door and settled in a chair in front of him.

"Lance," the employer said. His face was serious. Why? "Do you understand why I had you come here?"

"…Not an idea, George".

The employer knew Lance very well. He was one of few humans Lance liked. He could be arrogant, always thinking their company was the best… A trait that Lance shared himself.

George stared at him with his piercing eyes. Then a crooked smile appeared on his face. "Are you still satisfied with your abilities?"

That was a good question. Lance chose to be honest.

"…It would never satisfy me, George."

"How about we improve it? Like… allow you to turn into a hoverbike to escape any threats ?"

Lance smirked. George definitely knew him well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 : Robots are not human**

Queen Jezebel sighed. She knew that it would happen someday. However, she couldn't expect it to come so soon. She read the peace treaty she had just ratified with King Louis XXXX. In her heart, she wasn't sure about the way of dealing with it.

"I didn't know…"

"You should have read the specific clauses, Your Majesty." King Louis XXXX's diplomat crossed his arms. "Honestly, it is a good thing."

"Indeed…It is a good thing. After all, everyone wanted it to happen. That was humanity's dream for many decades. I just didn't expect it would happen right now. I mean…" Jezebel covered her face. "Humanity can be so flawed sometimes."

"But we can always improve, Queen Jezebel," the man said, putting a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the warning stare from her bodyguard. "You know sometimes… the future is better than the past."

She looked down. "You should have told me it would be your goal."

"We don't want war happening again, Queen Jezebel. That's all up to you."

Queen Jezebel knew how risky her decision would be. Indeed, it would resolve a lot of problems…However, what would happen to her? She was Queen of England. If she agreed, she may lose her place. She may lose her sovereignty. Instead, others would rule while her family had reigned for a long time.

Would she lose this for peace?

Unfortunately, she was a Queen. She couldn't think about her selfish whims. Her people had to be her priority over everything. Not only them, but her family, too.

Ultimately, she simply nodded. "It would cause many changes…"

"But for the best, Your Majesty. I mean, Jezebel." The diplomat didn't even call her by her nickname.

* * *

"We don't need you anymore, Lance."

Lance froze at George's sight in front of him. His colleague told him to come in his office. That was the afternoon after England ratified the peace treaty to be part of the Super Nation. At the beginning, Lance simply didn't care. Politics weren't what mattered to him.

But George thought otherwise. And at his sight, Lance couldn't understand what's happening in front of him.

"You should understand," George smiled in a sinister way. "You may have any advanced technology, any great power… but in the end, with Super Nation becoming more influential, it would be only a matter of time before everyone is throwing their weapons of mass destruction into the fire before dancing around the fire." George simply looked at the window. Sunset.

It gave a strange atmosphere to this situation.

"It is only a matter of time before the Company heads for bankruptcy. After all, who would care about protection and weapons when everyone is happy for war?"

"There would be always people who would be ready to use any weapon," Lance pointed.

"Possible." George said. "But it wouldn't help us live. If we could change this Company we could maybe save it. It won't be too late."

He turned around. "However, Lance…what usefulness do you have left?"

"What does that mean, George?"

"I mean that. You could stay here in this following job. However, your technologies won't help us. If we made change…why not change you too?"

Lance clenched his fists. "I thought that you saw me as more than this, George. You promised not to reprogram me."

George chuckled. "Yes, I promised, but times have changed. And don't worry…I am sure you will be happy with this new life, working as a cashier or a secretary in our new Company. You will forget all about your previous life. Wouldn't you like that?"

Lance's eyes went red. A cashier?

A secretary?

Would he become this when he was an advanced robot? A robot that could cause so much harm?

Would George just reprogram him?

The moment George turned around, his blood splashed the wall.

Lance just shot him. He noticed that his previous colleague still had the stupid arrogant grin on his face.

He would never become this robot.

Lance quickly left the room. He had to leave before everyone chased after him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 : Aftermath**

"Then, Lance 9 Trillion vanished into thin air last night after murdering George Computer from the Company of Protection and…"

Lance turned TV off. He had managed to find an empty house, far from any civilization, to hide. However, he couldn't stay here forever. He had to leave somewhere. He had to think of a plan.

He didn't have many options left. Either he could hide forever and be deactivated by a low battery, or he could face them and, using his advanced abilities, destroy them all. He could turn into a giant robot and crush the city. He would make this town his.

To Lance, this second option looked much better.

However, the moment he stood up and was about to leave, the front door suddenly opened. Lance immediately froze. He had lived here for one week. Were the owners on vacation? What was happening?

He was prepared to attack. However, the moment he saw the person, he guessed it wouldn't be necessary to take his weapons out. In front of him was a blond-haired boy. He looked surprised to find Lance here and immediately backed away. Without saying anything, Lance scanned him. His name was Astrid. He was 10 years old and had recently run away from his home.

"May I ask what you are doing here?" Lance calmly asked, his red eyes in his favour. In this way, it makes me look more malevolent. Maybe this way, the boy would run away. "What are you doing here in my house?" Okay. It wasn't his house. However, Astrid wasn't supposed to know it.

Astrid cowered and hid behind a corner of a wall. "It is raining outside…The front door was open so…I just came here to dry and…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

Lance glared at him. "I suggest you to leave right now before I become very angry."

"I understand but please…I need a place to sleep. At least for tonight please." Then he sobbed. Lance rolled his eyes. Nice. He needed that right now.

"You can't stay here. Find another place."

"But…But…It is dark outside. I need somewhere to sleep."

"It is dangerous!" Lance replied. "Go back home! Running away won't help you. What you are doing is dangerous. You may meet horrible people who would take you and…"

He blamed himself. He was stupid to talk with a kid about danger. He was dangerous. He should crash him. One moment, he frowned and wondered if the kid would run away and telling everyone about him. After all, he was being hunted.

Astrid's eyes widened. "How do you know I ran away?"

"I scanned you, you idiot!"

"You what? That's cool!" He smiled and immediately left the corner of the wall.

"Don't be stupid. You know how robots are, unless you are living on another planet. Everyone can do this"

Astrid shrugged. "Oh yes. But at home, robots aren't able doing this. We are a poor family, and the models we have at home are viewed as obsolete today." He stared at him in admiration.

"Well, your family should buy others models. Now leave!"

"I can't. As you said, I ran away," Astrid sighed sadly.

"Oh. I don't need you talking about your poor life," Lance interrupted.

"But I can't come back! Please. Let me stay here. At least for tonight. Please."

Lance clenched his fists though he glanced outside. There was thunder. He glanced back at the boy. He should scare him off. Maybe he would be left in peace.

Ultimately, he loudly sighed and agreed. "Very well. Stay here if you want. It isn't my business. However, you will not bother me," he added, threateningly.

"Okay!" Astrid smiled with gratitude before going into the kitchen and searching for food. He found noodles and went to prepare his meal himself.

Lance looked a bit surprised. He had almost expected Astrid to ask him to prepare them. Not that he would have obeyed but…It still surprised him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : Trying to move on

Lance expected that Astrid would be a pain in the neck the moment he agreed to let him stay here. He had warned him about only staying for one night. However, now, they had lived together for three days.

Astrid wasn't a bad kid. He was actually tolerable- if not pleasant- to be around. He was also kind of independent, always preparing his food by himself and cleaning by himself without even asking Lance to give him a hand.

Sometimes, they both watched TV together. Lance simply changed the channel whenever the news talked about him. However, Astrid was actually more interested in watching cartoons to care about Lance's strange behaviour. He probably thought that was none of his business and that he had to obey since it was his house (which it actually wasn't).

Finally one night, Lance asked him, "Care to tell me why you actually ran away?"

Astrid frowned. He looked a bit afraid. Maybe he thought that Lance would kick him out of his house. After all, it had been three days. Why didn't Lance actually shoo him?

Lance didn't even know by himself.

"I argued with my parents," Astrid replied.

"Really? Don't you think you have better to do than stay here?"

"I don't like my stepfather," Astrid kept on. "He is stupid…A nerd. Always thinking he is better than everyone else, if you understand."

Lance tried to understand what this word "nerd" meant. "I don't understand, but I don't care about your problems. You shall leave now."

He could say his mother would be worried, but he was a robot. Not a human. He didn't know what having parents mean. He only had creators, and they wouldn't be worried if Lance disappeared.

"My mother likes him better. They want their family of their own. I'm not accepted here." Astrid sighed. "They are just all nerds.

"Okay. Care to tell me what nerd means?" Lance asked.

Astrid's eyes widened. "You don't know this expression. Nerd is actually the contrary of cool." He smiled. "For example, you are cool. It means you are awesome. Great."

"Just don't try complimenting me." Though it made Lance smile, hearing the boy calling him awesome was far better than someone saying he wasn't useful anymore, like trash.

"Well, he is a nerd." Astrid finished his rice. "If I left, they wouldn't even care."

"And where would you go?" Lance sighed. "You will not stay with me forever."

"I know…Just. I think I could join Time Squad. Become an officer."

How naïve the boy was, Lance thought. "Time Squad will only recruit adults. Not kids. They would be useless."

"But why wouldn't you join Time Squad yourself?" the kid asked. "After all, they all search for robots. You look like very advanced and high-performing. They would need you."

Lance didn't think about this. To be honest, he only knew about Time Squad because of the advertisements they showed about becoming an officer to enforce the past to protect the future. Furthermore, he didn't understand how his technology would actually help.

"I'm not interested" Lance said, focusing back on the TV.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 : A new job**

He watched Astrid sleeping on the sofa. He had eaten his fifteenth bowl of noodles that day. After a week in company of Astrid, Lance thought that enough was enough. This situation couldn't last. Lance was trapped in this house, doing nothing but watching TV and talking with that boy. He couldn't hide forever. One day or another, humans would find him (unless they forgot about him, though that was unlikely). Then, Astrid couldn't stay here either. He couldn't really understand bonds between humans, especially bonds between parent and child when he didn't know his own creator. However, he could guess his parents were worried sick about Astrid, no matter what they were saying.

That's why early that morning, at 6:00 am, Lance shook Astrid awake. "Astrid. Hurry up."

"Hm?" Astrid opened one eye, coming back to reality. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

"That's not 'where are you going', Astrid." Lance corrected. "That's 'where are we going'." He then got up from his seat and walked into the lounge. He threw Astrid's coat back in the boy's face.

"What?"

"We leave. Now." Lance ordered.

"What for?" Astrid had an incredulous expression on his face. "Why are we leaving? Where?"

Lance shrugged. "Simple. You go back to your parents. As for me…I will live my life. As a free robot, not pressured by your peers. I want to live for myself."

"But…We are good together." Astrid clenched his fists. "Nobody bothers us. We need nobody! Why do you want to leave like this?"

"Because I said so." Lance's annoyance became apparent. "I can't hide forever. I need to live for myself. As for you…whatever you become, I don't care. It would be best for you to go back to your house and fix things yourself."

"That's unfair! I told you why I couldn't go back!" Astrid cried out.

"Humans's problems are really futile. They never care about OUR problems."

"Why do you hide, by the way?" Astrid replied, anger in his voice. Tears were in his eyes. "You have no need to hide!"

"I don't want your tears, okay?" Lance paused, turning off the TV. "As for me…it isn't your business."

"It is! We had been around together for a long time!" Astrid then erupted into tears. "I thought we were friends!"

"I said. I. DON'T. WANT. YOUR. TEARS." Tired, Lance suddenly grabbed Astrid by arms. The boy struggled, trying to grasp a corner of wall to stay inside. However, Lance was still a lot stronger than the ten-year-old boy. "That's useless."

Lance then forcefully managed to put him out of the house. Astrid still cried, struggling and kicking to have Lance release him. He wanted to run away. He wanted to stay inside…Lance sensed that Astrid's thoughts were conflicted.

Finally, Lance just turned into a black car while Astrid was still in his arms. With a sharp movement, the boy was inside the car, seat belt fastened.

"LET ME GO!" Astrid screamed. "Let me out of here! I will leave, okay? Just let me go!"

Lance didn't listen to him. After he made sure that the coast was clear, he started the car.

He took the motorway to leave the town. Maybe this way, they wouldn't bother to catch him up. He had to leave the country quickly. Unfortunately, there was this boy. Lance cursed himself for bringing him. He should have left the house quietly and left the boy behind. He would have been free.

Furthermore, Astrid was still screaming, as if he was being murdered.

Lance sped up.

"Do you want to know…Why did I hide?"

Astrid stopped, though tears were still rolling on his cheeks. Lance then declared, a sinister tone in his voice:

"Because I killed my coworker. I would gladly do it again in order to be free."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 : Training harder**

On the road, Lance stopped to take some oil. Astrid had calmed down, though now, he was horrified by Lance's confession.

"I killed my coworker."

Lance could imagine every scenario happening in Astrid's head: Lance, being a serial killer, hunted down by police. Intending to destroy the world. Killing him at the first chance. This had crossed Lance's mind: getting rid of the boy by leaving him on the road. However, something inside pf him prevented him from doing such. He would be better off bringing him back to his parents. This way, they would leave him alone.

"Why?" Astrid said. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you kill this man?"

While taking oil, Lance shrugged. "He wanted to me dead. He wanted to get rid of me. I wasn't useful anymore."

"That's not true! You didn't have to kill him!" Then Astrid cried again. Lance rolled his eyes. "Humans will always be the same. Always saying their race is right and robots would only be tools to them. After all, we are close to computers. We can have a glitch sometimes."

Astrid shook his head, tears in his voice. "That's not true! You have feelings! I thought we were friends. I thought we were…" Lance cut him off.

"Do you want to know everything?" He paused. "…You are nothing to me, Astrid."

He then went back to what he was doing and paid. However, the moment he was distracted, he heard one of his car doors slam.

"Astrid!" He cried out. He just realized that Astrid had just left the car.

Astrid escaped!

He sighed. Maybe should he take his own way so...Driving without caring for the boy. After all, what did he have to lose? They only had only known each other for one week. It wasn't like he was responsible for him. It wasn't like he was his parent, or his guardian or anything…

He started again. However, the moment he was about to leave the gas station, he heard a loud scream behind him. Frowning, Lance slowed down to check in his rear-view mirror.

He realized what was happening: Astrid was cornered against a wall by a man in his forties. An older man. Closing his eyes, he listened to the meeting.

"Poor boy…Are you alone here? Where are your parents?"

"…" Astrid looked away, like not wanting to face him.

"Are you lost, huh? Maybe should I help you find them? Are they in the gas station?"

Astrid simply shook his head. Lance had a bad feeling about it. Why didn't the boy leave? He glared at the man.

"If they are not…We should search for them tomorrow, don't you think? I live nearby. You could sleep at my home."

The man came closer to Astrid, who cowered. "Furthermore, I have a lot of animals at home. Three cats, three dogs…Do you want to see them?"

"I don't want…" Astrid said.

"Don't worry. I will not bite you. Come with me." The man then sharply took Astrid by the arm. Astrid cried out, struggling. "Let me go! Please! I don't want to!"

"Shh, little man. Don't worry," the man repeated.

For one moment, Lance was quite torn. He was okay with leaving Astrid here to handle that man alone. However, for one reason or another, Lance believed this man was one of most horrible kinds. Furthermore, he didn't need to analyze him to understand that he planned nothing good for Astrid. That was not a normal reaction, even if it was a human. Watching that man talking to Astrid this way made him shiver.

"Let me go, please!"

"Shh…"

Lance had already killed a man. He could definitely get rid of him. Hearing Astrid's pleads for help was the last straw. Lance turned back into his robot form and headed for the two. While the man was growing more threatening to the boy, Lance pushed him away from Astrid.

"Hey! What are you doing?" the man cried out.

Lance didn't even reply back. Lasers came out of his eyes then aimed at the man's butt. The moment it touched him, the man yelped in pain, screaming for help as his trousers were burning. Lance almost wished to aim at another intimate part, but he preferred not to do so.

"Lance?" Astrid said, mouth open. "…You saved me?"

"Let's go now before I just leave you here. Stop crying now."

Astrid gave him a grateful smile then followed him. "Thanks."

Lance…felt nothing about it.

They didn't even notice a woman holding her phone, filming the entire scene.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 : Rise and Fall**

Lance drove almost the entire night. Astrid fell asleep, too tired from what happened earlier at the gas station. Lance sighed, realizing how many kilometers he had yet to travel. He didn't understand how Astrid had landed in his house while living so far away. He probably took a train or something.

Finally, at sunrise, he stopped and turned back into a robot, the boy in his arms. Astrid opened his eyes, yawning. "Lance? Where are we?"

"At home, Astrid," Lance answered. They stood in front of a house not different from others in neighborhood. Lance put the boy down. "You should go now."

"…I'm not sure if I have to…" Astrid hesitated.

"You have no choice. You belong here. Not with me." Lance pushed him forward. "Go. Now."

Astrid looked down. He looked like about to protest, but in the end, he just nodded. He understood that Lance was probably right. Lance wanted to get over this. As soon as the boy wa with his parents, he would leave this town… maybe this planet, too.

Astrid walked to the door and rang the bell. After three minutes, a young woman opened the door. She stared at Astrid, her eyes widening, her mouth open.

"…Mom..." was all Astrid could say.

"Oh, my boy!" Then the woman burst out with tears. She caught him in his arms, hugging him tightly. Lance noticed that Astrid was crying too, finally returning his mother's hug. "I'm sorry, Mom… I'm so sorry."

"I was so afraid…I was so afraid," the mother repeated, checking his boy's face. Lance sighed, then prepared to turn back into a car and leave.

"Wait!" the woman cried. Lance stopped. He watched the woman walking at him. "You saved him, didn't you?"

Lance stayed emotionless, glancing back at Astrid. "Yes. I can say that."

"Thanks!" The woman bent her arms, as if she wanted to hug him too. Lance made a step away. He wasn't accustomed to being touched. To be frank, he wasn't accustomed to humans at all.

The woman looked disappointed though said nothing. "Well… what do you say about coming inside?"

"Miss, I don't think I have much time. I just wish to leave right now and doing nothing else."

"Please! Lance!" Astrid called him out. "Just two minutes"

"I will give you some oil." Astrid's mother smiled and invited him to come inside. Lance hesitated, checking to see if any police were around. At last, Astrid's expression made him join them.

After all, it would be the last time he would be with Astrid… he could take time to tell him goodbye.

Inside, the woman served him some oil as she had promised. Lance noticed a man, watching TV. Probably Astrid's stepfather.

"Dear! Astrid is back!"

"Yes…" The man just replied. "Sweetheart, could you bring me some chicken please?"

Astrid frowned. "Get it yourself," his mother coldly said, glaring at him. Astrid exchanged a look with Lance, surprised. This latter shook his head, contemplating the man.

Astrid was not wrong. He definitely looked like a nerd.

"I'm sorry. Please take everything." The mother smiled at Lance again. He shrugged before turning around toward the TV.

Suddenly, a special report interrupted the sport the man had been watching, much to his dismay.

"That's unbelievable!"

Lance didn't care, while Astrid and his mother came closer.

"It is unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! Looks like we found Lance 9 Trillion again. As you recall, Lance had disappeared after having murdered his coworker three weeks ago."

Lance crushed his glass of oil, hearing his name. He turned back, his eyes widening when he saw the scene.

It was the scene from yesterday. On TV, he was facing the man who had attacked Astrid. Everything had been filmed. From the moment the man tried to take Astrid away with him to the moment Lance burned the man's butt and comforted the boy.

Everything had been filmed... and someone had released it to the media. Why?

"As you can watch this scene, there is still some good left in robots. Everyone was scared of them because they feared that one day, they would turn against their masters. However, this video sent in by an anonymous person will prove them wrong. This boy has been saved."

"The boy's name is Astrid D. He is ten-years old and is living…"

Lance jumped. Now, everyone knew where he was. Everyone knew…It meant that if they got Astrid's address, then they would find him.

Immediately, without caring about Astrid's pleading Lance to stay, he jumped at the door. However, the moment he opened it to rush outside and never come back, he realized he wouldn't be able to leave as easily.

Ten police cars encircled the house.

"Lance 9 Trillion!" an officer said. "You are under arrest. It is over now."

"No! Please!" Astrid tried to put himself in front of Lance, but his mother chased after him, taking in her arms. "No, please! He saved me!"

Lance glared at them. "I saved one of you humans… you will actually arrest me?"

"Lance. It is over. Turn yourself in. And there will be no harm."

"No!" Astrid cried out. "Lance!"

Lance flashed an evil grin. He wouldn't go down without a fight. He was still a robot of mass destruction. Little policemen and their cars were no match for him.

If they wanted to play hard, he would.

He then glanced back at Astrid. No matter if he saved him, Astrid was still a human.

Astrid…meant nothing to him. If he dared to interfere, he would eliminate him.

However, the moment Lance turned into a giant fighter plane, someone called him out.

"And now… here is Lance 9 Trillion! The robot who saved the boy!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 : Replacement**

In the police station, Lance sat down at one table, his arms crossed, waiting for his punishment. This was stupid… he wasn't even human, and yet they were treating him like a human criminal. A guard was present, glaring at him with distrust.

Outside, he could hear them: reporters, journalists, everyone… talking about him. At the beginning, Lance just couldn't understand. They talked about how great Lance was. How Lance, the criminal, the one who murdered his coworker in cold blood…actually saved the life of a little boy. Oh yes, he could hear them.

"Lance 9 Trillion is a name which would stay in our memories!" he heard a male reporter say.

"Why deactivate him? He deserves a second chance! He saved a boy! Without him, the boy would have been kidnapped. He is able to recognize right from wrong. He doesn't deserve such a punishment!"

Why?

Lance could connect to the Internet easily. The video had been released on the entire web. On YouTube, the scene of him chasing the man away had been viewed by a million of users. The comments were the same… there were even some debates about how robots could be a danger.

 _"Robots are unpredictable… they have to be restrained. The fact that Lance acted without being asked on shows how much robots have progressed."_

 _"They become people beyond their programming."_

 _"Lance needs to be saved! He saved a human! A boy!"_

 _"He killed his co-worker!"_

 _"He saved a boy!"_

There even was an online petition dedicated to him: "Save Lance 9 Trillion." Lance couldn't help but grin at it. After such a long time, Lance understood.

Humans only had one life. For some reason, a child's life was viewed as extremely precious. He read newspapers every day. Every time something bad happened to a child, the human community was in turmoil.

Every time someone brought good to a child, they were viewed as a hero.

So, humans had a hierarchy. Apparently, a child was more precious than any other adult human. Lance would never have guessed.

Inside, he grinned.

Maybe saving this boy was the best thing he made. Maybe meeting Astrid had been good fate. In this way, people would view him as a hero: a robot that is ready to protect human life.

"Furthermore, Lance is a very advanced robot. He could be useful in the future."

"Lance 9 Trillion has to be saved."

Suddenly, the door opened. A man in suit appeared. Lance analyzed him: he was a judge. A Judge taking care of robots matters, judging if they deserved to be deactivated or, on the contrary, if they deserved a second chance…

He looked angry, tired. Was he tired due to the pressure? He held Lance's fate in his hands. Maybe watching these videos, reading these newspapers, reading the petition caused great stress to him. However, Lance wondered if he would concede to the people's demands.

He sat down in front of Lance, crossing his arms as well. For one long minute, he just watched him. Lance said nothing and just glared at him.

If you want to deactivate me, he thought, do it right now.

The man sighed. "What was your relationship with Astrid?"

Lance didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Were you two close? Is that the reason why you saved him?"

Lance guessed he had to carefully choose his answers. If he gave a wrong answer, his fate was sealed.

Of course, he and Astrid were close. They had spent some time together. Astrid viewed him as a friend, and Lance… Lance tolerated him. That would have been stupid to let him die. However, he couldn't say that.

"Not really. I just brought him back home."

No matter if they were humans or robots, saving a loved one's life would make more sense than saving a stranger's life. Saving a stranger's life would be viewed as altruistic while saving a loved one was understandable, more personal and selfish.

The judge nodded. "So you felt nothing for him?"

"I saved him because that was my duty. That was my duty as a robot."

"You never took others people in account, Lance." The judge glared at him. "After all, you killed your own co-worker."

"He wanted to reset me, Sir. I just wanted to be free. I didn't want to be useless. If there had been any other way, I wouldn't have killed him."

He had to plead self-defense. It would save him.

The judge sighed. "Looks like you decided to create your own character, Lance. You decided to become a tragic villain who turned back before turning good and going back on the right path."

Of course, Lance thought. "No. I just tried to do the right thing."

The judge got up. "I won't be fooled by your game, Lance. You will be deactivated, no matter what you say. Maybe your fans would react badly, but you killed someone."

"I saved another one!" Lance yelled.

"It doesn't erase your murder!" the judge yelled back. He nodded at the guard who took Lance back to his cell. "You wanted to be free. You will be treated like humans. However, that won't save you from your punishment. You will be deactivated."

Lance clenched his fists.

I will escape. I will escape before you can deactivate me, he thought before being taken to his cell.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 : New life, new life**

Chapter 10 : New life, new life

Lance was in his cell again, waiting. He thought that the petition would be enough to spare him from this fate. He almost believed that portraying this character of a tragic hero would be enough to convince humans to not deactivate him. However, unfortunately, he underestimated them.

They were a lot smarter than he thought.

So he waited. He waited for the moment where his executioner (a computer engineer) would open the door to engage the process of deactivation.

From robots he talked with, deactivation wasn't painful. It would finish soon. However, Lance wasn't sure how to accept it. He wouldn't accept this fate before they would finish him.

He would never accept.

He made many plans in his mind. Killing the computer engineer and escaping… killing the rest of people who would try to interfere. He would escape from this town…he would escape from this country, and maybe would he escape from this planet.

After all… there must have been others planets. Maybe life in space was a lot better than life on Earth.

Deep down, he had always wanted to discover it. Space. Moon, stars, galaxies… sometimes, even when he had still been working with George, he would sit down in plains and watch the stars in the darkest night.

During these moments, he almost felt… peaceful.

However, he wasn't sure that how much the plan would work. Furthermore, the consequences would only mean one thing: life as afugitive. He would do the same as before… hiding in houses, making no contact with anybody.

He sighed. He admitted that he wasn't completely indifferent towards saving Astrid. In one way, it made him… feel proud. He was proud of having saved someone, even if it had been a human.

Serving as a bodyguard for government wasn't the same thing… he saved Astrid because he had lived with the boy.

As for others… Lance admitted that it felt good… being the topic of the media. Being viewed as a star, a hero… it definitely changed from being Lance, the fugitive who had killed his co-worker. A murderer.

He heard a noise behind him. However, nobody came.

Humans sometimes talked about death. Some of them imagined there was a Heaven for good people and a Hell for bad people.

Did it exist for robots?

If it existed, where would Lance go? He didn't know in which category he was. Would saving someone make up for killing another one?

Or maybe there were no good or bad people…

Suddenly, the door went open. For one moment, Lance was on his guard, his plans coming back in mind.

A man came. However, he wasn't dressed as a judge or a policeman. Lance wondered if he was the one who would deactivate him but his appearance was odd. He was dressed in a white uniform with a red and yellow mask. He looked quite old.

Lance didn't expect that.

"Lance 9 Trillion?" The man smiled, holding his hand out at him. Lance wondered if that was a joke. He was there to kill him not to be friends.

He refused to make a move.

"Okay," the man said. "I shall introduce myself. My name is Ernest Canoon. Time Squad Officer. They granted me one last visit with you before your deactivation."

Lance frowned. Okay. One last visit? "I don't know you, Sir. Why are you talking to me?"

Was he one of Astrid's friends? Only the boy had a slight beacon of care for him right now. Then, he remembered him mentioning Time Squad.

"Simple…We learned about your selfless act. You saved a boy from a dangerous individual."

"I also killed another." Lance pointed out. He didn't want to debate over this again.

"I know. However, only your good deed is what interests me, as well as your hard drive."

"My hard drive?"

Ernest Canoon smiled. "Indeed. Your hard drive is actually a lot more powerful than any of our satellites. I don't know if you are aware of Time Squad. Units are living on satellites in space."

He sighed. "I don't care." That was cruel of this man, reminding him about space, which he would never be able to see.

"Of course, we wouldn't be able to spare you from deactivation. Time Squad is viewed badly…"

"Then why are you here? That is the only thing which interests me right now," Lance cut in, rolling his eyes.

"…However, having you in our services…That is the price we would be willing to pay." The man finished.

This sentence made Lance stop. "…What?"

Wasn't it a bit contradictory? He couldn't save him from deactivation but he wanted him in his services… meaning he would want him working in Time Squad.

"Yes. Having such an advanced robot… meaning you are one of most advanced robots we've ever seen, it would be very interesting to attract potential future members. You know… more officers are good, more robots are performing."

He realized what he was insinuating. "I won't be a toy for your people to play with, Ernest Canoon. What I want is to be free. Free from here especially… I don't want to be deactivated."

"Robots and officers are working together, as equals." Ernest whispered, as if he was afraid of being heard. "If I made such a trip to see you, it's because you interest us. You would be able to accomplish missions, such like the most important mission ever: saving history. Enforcing the past to protect the future."

Lance heard about this speech before… that was Time Squad's motto. "I don't know how I could help you. I'm dangerous towards people."

"And yet, they still view you as a hero. One good deed isn't enough to redeem your murder. However, if you show people how willing you are to change, pretending to be a good guy will lead you into actually becoming a good guy."

Lance wasn't convinced. Ernest Canoon was too strange to be honest. However, it may be his chance to escape this place… but one detail came to his mind. "I'm going to be deactivated."

"I know. However… do you know about your buttons on your wrists?"

"My buttons?"

He opened his wrists. Indeed, there were buttons. That's odd…why didn't his creator ever mention them?

"If you click on them… maybe I should just let you do it on your own. You will see what happens."

"If it pleases you…"

Lance obeyed, clicking the buttons to activate a command…

Suddenly, he was teleported into a giant hall


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 : Get used and make up**

Chapter 11 : Get used and make up

Lance was standing in front of the Court. Three judges- all humans- were sitting in front of him, examining his files. Near Lance, Ernest Canoon watched the scene, crossing his arms with a devious smirk.

"That's true…" The president said. "Ernest Canoon told the truth."

"Indeed. Lance 9 Trillion's creator, Alma Lombard, worked in Time Squad. After her death, Time Squad claimed her inheritance as she didn't have any heirs." The second judge pointed. "Time Squad has the right to reclaim its properties."

Lance clenched his fist. He didn't like being called a "property". It reminded him of his state as a robot. The fact that, two days ago, he was about to be deactivated by humans. Others humans saved him…and would decide about his fate: working in Time Squad or being sent back to his cell, waiting to be deactivated again.

The first alternative was much better. Right now, the judges were struggling with the laws and testimonies brought forth by his saviour Ernest Canoon.

This way, he learned about his creator: Alma Lombard. He had never heard about her. When he had been activated, he was already in the Company. George had been the first person he met.

"Hello Lance. Welcome to life. Welcome to Earth. Welcome to the Company. My name is George. I'm sure the two of us will make a good team."

Who would have expected that George would be the one making the decision about his reprogramming?  
Who would have expected that Lance would cause his death?

That was quite ironic.

"I must admit that you have convinced us, Ernest Canoon," the president said. "I was afraid that these files would be false."

"Of course, they are not." The man smirked. "You should remember: I'm a lawyer as well."

"However, we should inform the others about these last events," the third judge said. "After all, I'm not sure that the judge who favored Lance's deactivation would be thrilled with them."

"Unfortunately for him, Lance belongs to us… or rather, belongs to Time Squad," the second said. "He hardly has a word in this."

"What will happen to me?" Lance asked. That was the first time he had spoken since he had been in front of this court. He just let Ernest Canoon do the talking while Lance only replied with "yes" or "no".

"You will be trained like any other robot in Time Squad, Lance," the president explained. "No favors. You will be trained, and then you will be assigned to an officer. You would be paired up to accomplish missions together."

"Hopefully you will have no things of your old life left behind," the third judge said. "Because once you begin this new life, you will not be able to return to Earth."

So he wouldn't be able to return to his life? Lance frowned. Astrid appeared in his mind… he wasn't like a friend but it was a thing of his old life… something he will have to leave behind.

"Before I join Time Squad," Lance asked, "may I say goodbye to someone?"

The three judges exchanged a look. "Whatever."

Ernest Canoon smirked. "I thought you had nobody."

"I have nobody," Lance said, before tapping his command.

In one minute, he was back in front of Astrid's house. The blond boy was in his garden, playing football. The moment he saw Lance appear, he let his ball fall. He rushed over him, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"I didn't think you would come back!"

Lance wanted to smile, though the only thing he could do right now was pat the boy's head. "Yes… I was in a cell these last days… I could have been deactivated."

Astrid's eyes widened. "…You could have been…?"

"Yes… though fortunately, someone saved me. He was an angel…or rather, Satan himself."

Astrid chuckled. "Lance…these things don't exist."

He raised one eyebrow. He believed that every human believed in a God and in a Hell. However, this time, he had to disagree. "You know nothing, Astrid. He may exist."

After all… there may have been a God above them… at least, for robots. Ernest Canoon's arrival wasn't a coincidence.

Or maybe was he just too naïve.

"Are you going to leave, Lance?" Astrid asked.

He nodded. He wanted to lie but… there was no way he could lie to Astrid. "I have to. It is my only chance to escape my fate."

"Where will you go?"

This time, Lance smiled. "Time Squad… your idea"

Astrid shared his smile and hugged him again. "I will miss you."

Lance returned the hug. "I will miss you too…"

"Hey!" Astrid chuckled. "Maybe we will see each other again." He winked at him. "Maybe we will be partners."

"I don't think so." Lance cut him off. "I will have a partner soon. But don't worry. I'm sure we will see each other again, little boy."

He tapped his wrist again. The others were waiting for his return. "Just try to get along with your parents now, Astrid. Promise me."

Astrid seemed hesitant but at last, he nodded. "I will try."

Lance gave him a tender smile. After a final exchange, Lance disappeared, leaving Astrid alone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 : Team work**

"Well Lance…I see you did well," Ernest Canoon smiled, reading his results on his screen. "Phil 450 said you had the highest score in his session."

Lance shrugged. "I know. After all, I was working to protect people. Of course I would know how to use a gun."

"Hmm… however, cooking wasn't that perfect," Phil 450 pointed out. "Never mind. You know how to cook." He then turned the computer off. "You did pretty well."

"May I know when will I meet my new partner?"

"Pretty soon," Ernest Canoon replied. "I already know who it is. Should I give you a clue?"

Lance didn't really care. Since he was in Time Squad, he simply followed what he was asked. That didn't mean he liked it but he couldn't wait to get it over with. He didn't like working with other robots, he didn't like to be talked to as if he was a fool. Many times he wanted to punch Phil 450 in the face for his orders as simple as turning a computer on. However, his colleagues weren't really good. He wondered how retarded they were.

Nevertheless, he was rather curious about his new partner. Ernest Canoon smirked at him. "For a flawless robot… I would say a flawless partner would be fitting."

"Really? Flawless partner?" He was rather skeptical. Humans were flawed. Not robots. Perfection didn't exist for them. Lance knew that better than anyone.

"Indeed. The best officer we have. His only flaw is that he is bad-tempered. However, this job is rather stressful so… it has to be expected."

"So he has a flaw," Lance pointed out.

"We can't help it. Many robots gave up because of him. They all resigned. The man viewed them as incompetent."

Great. He just told it right now? He will work with an unbearable human who viewed robots as incompetents. Thanks, Ernest Canoon.

"He had better not treat me the same way," Lance warned him. "I'm not like them. If that man is unbearable, I will resign too after throwing him into space."

"No problem." Ernest was rather unnerving, always smug. "He asked to be paired up with you."

"What?" Lance raised one eyebrow. "How come?"

"He heard about your story. How you saved a little boy… you are viewed as a hero now, Lance, more in the robot community than in the human. Though honestly, the man is also a celebrity in Time Squad too. As he is perfect, he wants perfect."

"I don't know what to think about this," Lance replied. The man sounded… special.

They heard ringing. "Ah." Ernest was pleased. "That must be him."

Lance didn't move. Ernest Canoon came back, accompanied by another man. The man looked younger, quite brawny. He was blond, wearing the Time Squad uniform, a bored look on his face.

"Lance 9 Trillion, here is Officer JT Lazer. JT Lazer, this is Lance 9 Trillion."

None of them moved. Nobody spoke. JT Lazer simply shrugged. "Well… that's interesting. I didn't expect to have such an advanced robot."

"Lance is very advanced. He will be very useful in your missions." Ernest winked. "I'm sure you two will get along well."

"Yes, yes. Now that we've met, should we move in your satellite?" asked JT Lazer.

Lance nodded, agreed with him. Not like he disliked Ernest's presence, but he had had enough of staying on this ship, waiting to be assigned. "We should, I guess."

"Well, Lance it was a pleasure to meet you." Ernest tapped his back. "Hopefully we will meet each other again soon."

Lance said nothing, his stare focused on JT Lazer. The man took out a comb and ran it through his hair. "Let's go, partner."

He added "partner" with some indifference. The man definitely sounded haughty. If robots resigned, it must have been for a good reason. Lance felt a bit uneasy. Why did this man ask him to be his partner? He glared at Ernest before tapping on his wrist, teleporting them on their own satellite.

As soon as they appeared in the computer room, JT Lazer tapped in his shoulder. "Hey dude! Glad to meet you! My name is JT Lazer."

Lance was confused now. Jt Lazer warmly smiled to him. He talked to him as if they were already friends. That was very different from previously. "…Excuse me?"

"Hehehe. Sorry for my behavior earlier. Ernest Canoon irritates me. Furthermore, I have to keep a face to others. However, as we are in private, I properly can introduce myself: my name is JT Lazer."

This man was odd. "Huh… my name is Lance 9 Trillion."

"I know who you are." JT Lazer moved in the kitchen to take a beer from the fridge. "What happened to you wasn't cool. I feel sorry for your co-worker."

Lance frowned. Was he aware that he had killed him?

JT Lazer took a sip of his beer. "Anyway, that's cool what you did. You know, a bad guy turning good is what attracts people. No wonder why they took you in to Time Squad."

"I didn't mean to be good…Ernest Canoon offered me a chance to live."

"You were lucky. They could have reprogrammed you," JT Lazer pointed out.

"They could have deactivated me." Lance looked around. "Have you been here for a long time?"

"Yes. I've been an officer for six months… though I didn't get along with my past robot partners."

Here we go, Lance thought. "Why didn't you get along with them?"

"Because they were obsolete." He paused. "You should know there are two kind of people: there are cool guys. Then there are nerds." JT Lazer grinned. "All of those robots were nerds."

Nerds, Lance remembered Astrid teaching him this word. It looked like everyone used it. "So you are a cool guy?"

"Indeed, I am. Every Time Squad officer sees me as a cool person, after all." JT Lazer threw his beer in a trashcan. "I was voted Time Squad Commissioner once. It just shows how people view me."

The guy sounded quite haughty, though Lance was quite interested. He sat down near him. "So you chose me to be your partner because I was… cool?"

"Saving a child is cool, Lance." JT Lazer's face went suddenly serious. Lance didn't understand until JT Lazer said. "…However, your story also interested me."

"I see." Lance should have expected this. "I didn't do much. I just made the guy run away."

"Yet the child could have been killed, Lance," JT Lazer sighed. "That guy was trash. You did what you had to do. That's why I chose you as my partner."

He then smiled. "Furthermore, what goes better together than two heroes? Two cool guys?"

Lance nodded approvingly. JT Lazer was right.

Maybe they would work well together.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 : No redemption**

Lance had been working with JT Lazer for one month. Ernest Canoon had not lied about him. JT was a very competent officer despite how arrogant he could be. However, when Lance pointed it to his partner, JT only chuckled and said, "We are alike, Lance."

Indeed, Lance couldn't have agreed more. He could be sort of arrogant too, thinking he was better than the rest. In any case, Lance was quick to follow JT in his treatment of others officers they viewed as "nerds." While JT mocked his fellow human officers, Lance sneered at his fellow robots. That was a win-win situation.

Lance liked this new life. He thought he could have been involved in a worse situation. He could have been deactivated, reprogrammed or just thrown in a trashcan. Or he could have become a janitor.

Here, he did what he could do best: using his skills and kicking historical figures's a** while saving future. And he could watch space.

Honestly, Lance couldn't have hoped for better.

The only cloud on the horizon was the picture of the little blond boy. Astrid. When he thought about him, he couldn't help but having an empty feeling inside his chest. He wondered what he was doing. Did he make up with his parents?

He hoped he would not leave them again.

"Tell me, JT," Lance asked one day. "Do you have family?"

They sat around the table. Lance prepared a meal for once. He did what he was expected to do, though JT could take care of himself. His partner smirked. "Yes. I have an older sister. She became a scientist of sorts. As for my parents, well… I don't see them much. But I think they are fine. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I just wanted to know how it felt like, to have family." Lance sighed. "Forget what I said."

"Don't you know your creator?" JT Lazer asked, surprised.

"She is dead". In one way, it was better. He didn't watch her die. It would have been a pain to him. "They spared me because she worked in Time Squad. She didn't have any heir so she gave everything to her employer. I was part of it too."

"Well, there is nothing to fear anymore." JT Lazer gave him a smile. "They know I need a partner so they won't take you again."

Lance smiled in return. "Hopefully. We became the greatest team after all."

"By the way, just take a look at this!" JT took his tablet before throwing it on the table. "We've got a fan club now!"

"A fan club?" Lance checked. Indeed, a page had been created, named "JT LAZER AND LANCE 9 TRILLION, the cool team." At least 5, 000 members followed this page. "I didn't know there were that many Time Squad officers."

"Yes," JT sighed. "There are JT fans and Lance fans. There is even a biography about us on Wikipedia."

Lance read the name of one of his supposed fans: Lawrence 3000. When he clicked on his profile, he couldn't help but shivering out of disgust. "How great."

JT Lazer chuckled. "Well…I'm going to bed right now, partner." Then he left the kitchen. The moment he heard him walking in the stairs, Lance turned the tablet off.

He yawned. He was going to bed too. He just had to check up some things. He went in the computer room. On the screen, a search engine appeared. He was rather curious about what people were saying about him again. He tapped "Lance 9 Trillion" in the search engine, waiting for results.

Websites. Fan-club. Websites. Fan-club. There were even videos about him. Lance crossed his arms, smirking when he saw that the judge who had sentenced him to death had resigned. Well done. One less enemy.

"Do you like what you see?"

He immediately turned around, recognizing the voice. On the teleporter, Ernest Canoon appeared along with his robot. "Hello, Lance. Long time since I last saw you."

"…What are you doing?"

"I wanted to know if everything was going fine with your partner." He took off his hat. "Apparently, it is. I've watched your results. Very good, Lance."

Even though Ernest Canoon had saved him, Lance couldn't help but distrusting him. His presence meant no good. This smug appearance sort of reminded him about George, his co-worker. At first, he had wanted the best for him.

At the end, he had only wanted to deactivate him.

"I'm not here to take you away, Lance." He looked as if he had guessed Lance's thoughts. He came closer to sit down near him, close to the computer. "Like if I would take you away after all of your good help."

"So what do you want?" Lance glared at him. "Go on with it."

The old man simply shrugged. "I'm here to warn you about something."

"What about?" If that was about someone who wanted Lance dead, Lance was ready. They could come at him. He couldn't guarantee that they would survive though.

"You will receive a mission… a very important mission." Ernest then looked away, focusing on the screen. He saw the news article about the judge's resignation. "They didn't want to give you this mission at first. However, I convinced them to do so."

"What is this mission about?" Lance frowned.

"…You shall see, Lance. Just… don't be surprised." Ernest sighed. "Consider it your final test. It's for the best."

"My final test?" Lance clenched his fists. "I thought it was all over. I thought my debt was paid."

Ernest stood up. His robot watched the scene, a bit awkwardly. "…You are wrong, Lance," he said, and his usual smug smirk disappeared. A more sinister grin replaced it. "…Debts are never paid in Time Squad. It's time you learn about that."

He then headed for the teleporter.

"Murderers stay murderers. There is no redemption here. There are only…good tools.

"You b…!"

However, Ernest disappeared before he could finish his sentence.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 : Forging bonds**

Chapter 14 : Forging bonds

"Come on, come on, come on!" JT Lazer repeated. "We will catch him!"

Right now they were chasing after Rasputin, who wanted to become a chef instead of the charlatan he was supposed to be. As history said, Rasputin was very resistant and was able to run the longest distances.

"Sheesh…" JT stopped to take his breath. "…This is hopeless."

"I suggest we fly," Lance pointed out. JT Lazer smiled. "You read my mind."

Once he had JT Lazer's approval, Lance turned into a hoverbike, allowing JT Lazer to ride him. He could turn into many things, but this was their favourite means of transportation.

Flying allowed them to catch Rasputin again. Rasputin's eyes widened when he realized that was them. Indeed, Lance could understand his surprise. After all, this means of transportation didn't exist in this time. It wouldn't exist for millenaries. But that didn't matter right now.

Lance was flying just above Rasputin now. This way, JT Lazer could jump. He landed on their victim before handcuffing him.

"We have been nice, but you didn't listen to us."

"I said I wanted to be a cook! Is that so bad?" Rasputin cried out.

"For history, yes." JT Lazer smiled at Lance. "Our success remains flawless."

Lance nodded, then teleported the three back to their satellite, where they threw Rasputin into a cell, near Clovis (instead of being King of France, he wanted to be a violinist).

Lance had almost forgotten about his meeting with Ernest Canoon. Honestly, his behaviour had astonished him. First, he said Lance could turn into a good guy. Then he said that Lance was still a murderer and didn't deserve redemption. Why?

Either he wanted to get on Lance's nerves… or Ernest played a role all along. All along, he thought that Lance should have been deactivated. However, he had been kept alive because he needed him.

What did he need him for? Lance didn't know. He said something about a final test. An important mission… Lance frowned. That couldn't be good. Canoon knew how competent Lance was. Why did he need to warn him?

"Hey, Lance." JT Lazer stretched. "I just recorded a video of Rasputin's capture. Maybe should we post it on our fanclub's website? Like throwing them a bone…"

However, Lance wasn't listening right now. "I don't care"

JT Lazer frowned. "Oh… what's wrong with you again? I thought you liked that."

Lance shook his head. "Sorry… my mind is elsewhere."

"You still thinking about Ernest Canoon?" Jt Lazer asked. Lance had told him the morning after, needing advice about this ominous meeting. "You shouldn't care about it."

"So what should I do?"

"You think too much." JT Lazer shrugged. "We may have an important matter later. However, it doesn't mean we have to worry over it. We are the greatest team, after all."

His partner nodded. "Maybe you are right…"

"Hey! I'm always right!" JT Lazer then packed his baggage. "So I'm going to check my sister. Be careful, okay?"

"Say hi to her," Lance said, before tapping on his wrist, teleporting JT Lazer to his destination. He noticed he had teleported him to the 100, 000, 030 AD. It was a bit odd that JT Lazer asked him to teleport him in the future. However, he thought that he may have matters to do here, at this time.

Still… it was a bit odd. However, it would have been impolite to ask him about it.

Lance shrugged. He took some oil before sitting on the sofa. He would spend his evening watching TV. JT Lazer would beep him when he would need to return.

He had a dream… a nightmare, rather. Fire. Fire everywhere… Lance went into mass-destruction mode. People were attacking him… people were shooting at him… every time; they called him by the same insult over and over.

"Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!"

Suddenly, Lance woke up. If he had been human, he probably would have sweated. He had fallen asleep on the sofa in front of TV. Trying to pull himself together, Lance looked all around.

He hated dreaming. Actually, he hated nightmares. Sometimes, dreams could be better than reality. However, that wasn't the case here.

"JT Lazer?"

He stood up to check if JT Lazer returned. However, there was nobody beside himself on the satellite. Lance frowned, checking his commands. He decided to contact JT Lazer via radio.

"JT Lazer? I's me, Lance. Do you want me to take you?"

However, nobody replied. Lance tried again by resetting. However, it didn't work either. Did JT Lazer break it?

That would be strange… JT Lazer was very cautious most of time… furthermore, he would need their radio to contact Lance for missions.

So why…?

Lance shook his head. He wasn't one to panic. If he guessed that JT Lazer broke his radio, it must be the case. Instead, he turned the giant computer on, calling maintenance.

"Yes?" The robot receiving his call replied.

"Yes. I need someone fixing our radio. I think my partner broke it."

"What's your name? What's your unit?"

"I'm Lance 9 Trillion. I belong to Officer JT Lazer's Unit 9933."

"Wait, please."

Lance patiently waited, sighing out of annoyance. He didn't need it today. If he had an important mission in the future, he couldn't allow losing contact with his partner. Another thing came in his mind: did he make a wrong manipulation?

He remembered that he sent JT Lazer in the future…The future of the future: at 100, 000, 030 AD.

Maybe was it impossible? Maybe shouldn't he allowed JT Lazer go there? Maybe did…?

Wait, the future of the future?

Why?

Suddenly, Lance's thoughts were cut in by the robot's voice. "…You said you belonged to Officer JT Lazer's Unit?"

"Yes!" Was he deaf or what?

"…It's impossible."

"Really? And what for? I'm not lying; you can check!" Lance cried out, losing patience.

"You don't understand: this Unit doesn't exist."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 : Sometimes, there can be good in bad**

Chapter 15 : Sometimes, there can be good in bad

Lance didn't realize what was happening right now.

The only thing he knew was that he had been waiting in Time Squad Headquarters for almost one week. He had tried to contact someone, wanting to speak to a superior. Heck! He had even tried to speak to Ernest Canoon, the b*** who had said that he had an important matter to complete and manipulated him whenever he wanted.

However, as surprising as it was, nobody knew about JT Lazer's unit.

"That's absurd!" Lance had cried out. "I'm Lance 9 TRILLION! I'm a hero! I have my own fanclub! You are the one who took me! You are the one who saved me from deactivation! I had killed my co-worker!"

However, nobody knew. They were speechless about the whole situation. To prove his point, Lance had tried to display their Fanclub Page.

But the moment he had tried… the page didn't exist anymore.

Why?

What's the Hell was happening?

This was seriously a bad joke. So he tried to call one of his followers: The Larry 3000 or whatever his stupid model name was.

However, when he called him, the guy didn't seem to know anything about it. He didn't even know his name.

Nobody knew about him. Nobody knew about JT Lazer.

"Maybe something is wrong with the time. We shall check it"

So he just waited. He would wait until the problem was fixed.

Unfortunately, Lance guessed he would have to wait a long time until they got a solution.

He couldn't help but think that it was this: the important matter. Maybe Ernest Canoon had warned him about this. Maybe JT Lazer was meant to disappear. Maybe something wrong happened with time and it involved JT Lazer.

Lance had to help him. Yet, he didn't have any clue.

The only thing being that JT Lazer went to the future to see his sister… the future of the future. Something he didn't think was possible. He thought they were already in the future.

The only way was to go t here… maybe he would find JT Lazer. However… what would happen if he didn't come back? Maybe would he disappear too?

Around him, everyone was busy with their own things. Even if he blew up Time Squad Headquarters's satellite, it wouldn't make things faster.

So Lance had to go himself…

Taking a breath, Lance tapped on his wrist, having memorized the right coordinates.

"We are the best team!" Lance remembered.

He couldn't say goodbye to this new life yet. He had to save JT Lazer.

He vanished.

He landed in a kind of laboratory. Well… he thought it was. It looked like the future they knew. Maybe they had a better technology, yet it was impossible to differentiate. After all, that was only 30 years later in the future… what did it mean? It wasn't like millennia separated the two periods.

He had to search for JT Lazer's sister. So he searched for her name, analysing the laboratory's staff.

Oddly, there wasn't any name close to JT Lazer… yet it wasn't a common name. Maybe the woman was married and had changed her surname?

Instead, he searched for a woman who resembled JT Lazer physically… siblings looked alike. He could find someone…

He had to find someone…

Finally, he found a woman. Her name was Sydney. She looked like JT Lazer: she had long blond hair in a ponytail and blue eyes, and she wore a lab coat over a blue sweater and jeans. It must be her.

"Excuse me, girl?"

Sydney's eyes blinked. Then a big smile appeared on her face. "My, my. Such a great model. I didn't know there were still robots like you."

"Yes, yes," Lance cut her off. "Please…I need to find JT Lazer."

Sydney raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… I want to find JT Lazer!" Lance repeated again. "Your brother!"

At her brother's name, Sydney's eyes widened. She looked shocked. "…You must be wrong, Sir."

"I wish I was… look, your brother came here to visit you. I'm, Lance 9 Trillion, his robot partner in Time Squad."

He wondered if JT Lazer had already talked to her about him, but Sydney looked completely astonished.

"You must be wrong…" she repeated.

"Stop saying this!" Lance clenched his fists. He was close to explode but he had to contain. She may be his only chance. "Sydney, your brother came to visit you. He disappeared. I have no news from him. It's a mess in Time squad. Everyone believes our Unit doesn't exist and…"  
"No"  
Lance frowned. She was upset. He felt a bit stupid right now. Maybe was she worried ? After all he just came out from nowhere, telling her that her brother disappeared…Of course, she would be worried.  
He wondered if he should comfort her.  
"Listen…I'm sure there is nothing wrong…I just have to find where he is. Maybe it's a glitch in time…It happens every day so don't worry. We will find him."  
"…You don't understand." Sydney shook her head. She covered her eyes.  
"What do you mean? Please! If you know something, just tell me! I'm worried too!"  
"It can't be my brother…"  
Will she stop denying it? Lance tried to stay cool, but he really wanted to break something right now. Sydney moved away.  
"Listen…I need to find your brother"  
"It can't be my brother" she repeated, pausing, "because my brother died a long time ago."

 **OOC: Sydney isn't from me. She had been created by cosmothediclonius (deviantart) and she allowed me to use her. I thank her dearly for it^^**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 : Enforce our bonds to protect the future

"…What happened?"

They were at a table, in a cafeteria. Sydney let out a sigh, stirring her coffee. She didn't look at Lance anymore.

"It happened thirty years ago. My brother ran away one day… he never came back."

How could it have happened thirty years ago? At this time, JT Lazer was an adult. He had a job. Of course he would run away. Of course he would leave his parents. Why would he stay with them?

He was a Time squad officer, after all.

"How do you know he ran away?" Lance asked. He wished he could act like he would in a typical mission. However, as this was about JT Lazer… he was personally involved in it.

Ernest was a bastard… he must have been laughing at this, watching him struggling in the future of future, trying to find his partner.

"Because we had family issues," Sydney sighed. "We didn't get along well. I was older than him so I tried to reason him. However, he was too arrogant to listen."

"Family issues? Of course," Lance mocked. "Tell me, did you leave your parents as well?"

"What do you mean?" Sydney asked, frowning.

"Well, you resent him because he left… yet, you did the same. I guess you don't live with your parents anymore. You are working here, in this laboratory."

Sydney put her coffee down. She gave him an incredulous look. "That's different, Lance."

"What's so different?" Lance glared back at her. "You prevented him from living his own life …yet you are doing the same right now. No wonder he has family issues!"

Sydney shook her head. "No, I'm sorry… this is much different. I'm old enough."

"Really? How old are you?" Lance analysed her, not waiting for her reply. "You look to be around your forties right now. JT Lazer is only three years younger than you. How can you say he wasn't old enough?"

Her eyes widened. "You are crazy." her tone went cold. "It isn't like that."

"Yet it is very simple," Lance replied, mocking.

"No!" She clenched her fists. She could harm him. No matter, he was ready. "I don't understand why you talk about this! That's nonsense!"

"You are nonsense. Just reply. I just want to find my partner." Lance was tempted to strangle her, if it would make her talk. However, he tried to pull himself together.

He was under stress…

"I don't know why you are talking about JT Lazer! We are talking about my brother! Yes, maybe if he was here today, he would be around his forties, like me!" she cried out.

This time, Lance froze. Wait…?

"What do you mean?"

"WHAT? What do YOU mean?" Sydney shouted. Everyone turned back at her. "You are a robot coming back from past or something and you're talking about a guy named JT Lazer!"

"…"

Had he been wrong from the beginning? Wasn't she the same person? Wasn't she JT Lazer's sister?

"Aren't you JT Lazer's sister?"

This time, she punched the table. She was beyond angry now: she was enraged. "No! That's why I'm wondering why you've been talking about this JT Lazer from the beginning! You must be making a mistake."

"Couldn't you have said that earlier?" Lance asked. He was about to get up. Apparently, he was wasting his time here. "Listen. I'm sorry for hurting you… but I'm searching for somebody else."

Sydney looked like she had calmed down. She took a breath, trying to relax. "…That's nothing. I'm just wondering why your story is so similar to mine."

He wondered too. Lance had a bad feeling about it. "...Can I ask you one last thing?"

"…Yes?" Sydney ordered another coffee.

"…What happened to your brother?" Maybe it would help him.

Sydney bit her lips. "I told you. He disappeared thirty years ago. We had family issues so he ran away."

"What about these family issues?"

"He didn't get along with our stepfather." Sydney closed her eyes. It hurt her. "So he left. I never saw him again."

…

Lance felt like a mountain was crushing him. Heat radiated him, almost frying his circuits. He couldn't believe what he was hearing…

He clenched his fists.

He had to ask her this question:

"…What was your brother's name?"

Nerd.

What does it mean?

It's the contrary of cool. For example, you are cool.

It couldn't be… that was just a coincidence.

Time stopped when Sydney replied.

"His name was Astrid. He was ten years old when he disappeared."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 : Save your relationship or move on

"Lance? Are you alright?" Sydney asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

Lance's head was spinning. He couldn't admit it yet. He couldn't admit this situation, because it was so crazy.

How could this happen?

How could JT Lazer be Astrid, the boy he saved?

Either fate was messing up with him… either…

Then, it struck him right in the head. He just realized it! Ernest Canoon! He was responsible for this mess. He knew it. He knew it from the beginning.

That may have been the reason why he had paired them up together. He a great officer, and Lance had known him since he was a child.

Sick b***, he thought.

However, he wondered: did JT Lazer remember him? After all, everything was possible. Maybe he chose Lance as his partner because he remembered him as Astrid.

Maybe we will be partnered...

Oh yes. If only Astrid knew… his dream came true.

However, there were still questions left: where was JT Lazer at this time? What had happened to Astrid? Why did he change his name?

"...You wouldn't know why he chose to be called JT Lazer, huh?" Lance said to Sydney.

The woman blinked in surprise. "I told you: his name is Astrid."

Of course, he was a fool. Lance closed his eyes.

There was only one way: he had to save Astrid. He had to return to his time and save him…

Taking a loud sigh, he got up, ignoring Sydney's concern. "Where are you going?"

"…I have no choice. I have to save the time. I have to fix the glitch." Lance tapped on his wrist. "…I'm going back in past… then I will bring your brother back."

That was the only way he could find an answer to his questions. Sydney just stared at him, confused.

He pushed the final button before teleporting back in his time… 30 years ago.

There he was.

He was back at the gas station. He will always remember it.

He will always remember because it was here that he had saved the boy. This was the place where someone recorded him saving the boy before he had been thrown in a cell, sentenced to deactivation, and saved by Ernest Canoon…

What would happen this time?

Suddenly, he saw him. Or rather, he saw himself in his car form.

"You are nothing to me, Astrid" the car cried. Lance clenched his fists at this sentence. That was untrue. Lance was lying to himself at this time.

Now, he realized how idiotic he was. Maybe he was still an idiot right now.

Nevertheless, he stayed to watch the scene.

Then, he saw Astrid escaping from the car, running away past Lance. Indeed, he remembered it very well.

"Astrid!" he heard himself crying out.

That was dangerous… Astrid didn't know where he was going …from afar, he watched the car starting up, ready to leave.

It did not matter. He already knew what would happen. Astrid would run into that man, then Past Lance would save him. History would repeat…

Indeed, a few minutes later, the man appeared.

"Poor boy. Are you alone here? Where are your parents?"

Here. The exact lines again. Lance stayed unmoving, still watching. He would come back. He would come back to kick that man in the butt.

Astrid tried to avoid his stare.

"Are you lost, huh? Maybe should I help you find them? Are they in the gas station?"

How ugly that man was… how horrible he was. Lance tried to control himself. Honestly, he should have killed him. He would have committed another murder, although that wouldn't have been a big loss.

"I have a lot of animals at home. Three cats, three dogs… do you want to see them?"

Then he heard Astrid saying: "I don't want to…"

"Don't worry, I will not bite you. Come with me." Then, the man roughly caught him by arm.

Normally, Lance would have stopped. He would return to save Astrid. He would return right now.

"Let me go!" Astrid shouted.

"Will you shut up, now? Come with me!" The man's tone went cold. More dangerous. Astrid struggled, though the man was a lot stronger than him.

"Help!"

"Shut up! Do you want to be punished? Come with me now!" the man repeated.

"No! Somebody help me! Please! Please!"

Lance stayed silent.

Something wasn't right. Why didn't Lance come back?

This scene didn't happen. That was like watching an extended version of a movie. A very bad and creepy movie…

"Come. With. Me. NOW!"

Lance didn't come back…

"Please! Let me go! I will say nothing! I WILL SAY NOTHING!"

"SHUT UP!"

Then, he slapped Astrid on the cheek. Astrid stumbled, tears rolling down his face. "I did nothing!"

Damn it! Lance thought. Damn it! You fool! However, he didn't know who was the fool here: that trash and poor excuse of a man or… himself.

Probably himself. He remembered how torn he was at this moment. He hesitated to rescue Astrid. He wanted to be free.

You fool! He chose the second option here.

"Let me go!"

"You are mine now! Nobody will-"

However, he couldn't finish his sentence. He let out a loud scream of pain instead.

Lance shot him in the butt. To be honest, he would have been definitely okay with shooting him in another part… he was totally okay with killing him. After all, that man was the worst kind.

However, time must be fixed. He didn't know what this man would do in the future. He couldn't kill him… it would mess up time.

Like the first time, the man ran away, his trousers burning.

"…Lance?"

Lance turned back at Astrid.

Now, he knew. Now, he realized how much Astrid was similar in JT Lazer in appearance. Maybe it didn't strike him due to the mask he was always wearing.

But he was definitely JT Lazer.

"You saved me!"

He remembered what he said at this part.

Instead, he took a softer tone.

"Let's go, little one. Your parents and your sister are waiting for you…"

This surprised the boy. "Sydney? How do you know about her?"

"…I will tell you later. Come, now."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 : Raison d'être

Lance teleported back to the satellite, exhausted. He sat down on the sofa, holding his head in his hands.

Ernest was right. This mission had been the most difficult thing that had ever happened in his life. Inside, he couldn't believe he had done this. He knew he had saved Astrid… or rather, JT Lazer. He saved him twice now.

However, this time, he saved him because his past counterpart chose his own freedom and let the boy die instead of saving him like he should have done… what did it mean?

Before, he couldn't have cared less about it… now, he was ashamed. He was ashamed at the possibility that he could have let the boy die because of how selfish he was.

He frowned, watching the clock. If he had done it right, JT Lazer would be back soon.

Why couldn't this have been a dream?

Indeed, three minutes later, JT Lazer returned. He entered the lounge, giving Lance a warm smile. "Hello, partner!" He put his things down. "How was your evening?"

"…" Lance headed for the kitchen, preparing dinner. He made sure that JT Lazer got a bottle of wine. He almost put some oil on table. He felt he would need it. "How was your sister?"

"Sydney?" JT Lazer smiled, sitting down at table. He poured some wine in glass. "She was doing fine, actually. Same old… always about her laboratory. Her work. I'm sad she is still single. She needs to get laid indeed."

Lance closed his eyes. He fixed it. He fixed the glitch. Everything was back to normal. He sat down, pouring some oil as well. "…I'm glad you are fine."

"Of course I am!" JT Lazer cried out, a bit confused. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"

He took his tablet, going on their website. "Look. Many fans liked our video of Rasputin's capture. That's very good."

Lance stayed silent. He took a long breath. He needed answers. "…Now I know what this mission Ernest gave me was."

"Hm?" JT Lazer stared back at him. "What was it?"

"I had to save you…" Lance paused. "…Or rather, I had to save Astrid."

This time, JT Lazer let his tablet fall to the floor. His expression was unreadable… somewhere between shock, fear, anger and… relief. Lance wouldn't know.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lance asked. "…Why did you change your name, by the way?"

JT Lazer stood up. He didn't watch him anymore. He took another glass of wine. "…Because I needed a cool name. Only my family still calls me Astrid. Here, I'm JT Lazer. I'm known as this. That's all."

"…What happened? Is that the reason why you took me as your partner?"

JT Lazer nodded, giving him a sad smile. "Yes. That's the true reason. After I learned you would be transferred to Time Squad, I wanted to search for you. I wanted to find you." He paused. "I wanted to find Lance 9 Trillion, the robot that saved me when I was a kid. Because without him, I would have died… I wouldn't be who I am today."

Lance looked down. "I wanted to thank me. I wanted to fulfil my dream too: becoming your partner. So by becoming an ace, a great officer everyone would look up to… maybe I would have been able to convince Ernest to pair us up together."

It made sense. "I just don't understand…Are you from the future of… this future?" He asked, unsure of not being clear. "…Why are you returning to this time? Wouldn't you want to be with your sister?"

JT Lazer shook his head. "I'm from this future. I just thought that I would have a better chance of being partnered with you if I came to the time when you were assigned to Time squad. So I came back to the past, after using a time machine." He added. "Then, I wanted to see myself as a kid. I wanted to realize how wrong I was, acting the way I did. It put me in a dangerous situation."

Indeed. Everything… everything JT did was for him. Because Astrid wanted to find him. Lance wasn't sure what to think.

"Why? Why did you all this for me?" He sighed. "I'm not a perfect hero, JT. Or rather…Astrid. I'm not even a good partner. Do you wish to know why I had to save you a second time? Because I didn't, the first time." Lance closed his eyes. "I had preferred to live my freedom."

"What does it matter?" his partner asked him in a soft tone. "You still saved me. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have travelled through time to help me."

"Astrid…"

"No matter what we have done in past… what you are now, what you will do is what matters. People may think of you as a murderer or as a hero. To me, you will always be the person who helped me. And I know you want to change."

Lance nodded. He was right. Why should he blame himself for it? He had still saved him. He had saved this boy because he cared for him.

Maybe that was one of good things he did.

"If you are afraid of what people will think of you, Lance…" JT then moved closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I will be here by your side. Okay?"

"Ouch," Lance suddenly said, feeling awkward because of JT's proximity. "Well…if you say so."

"Furthermore, we are the greatest team here!" JT Lazer added, joking.

And this time, Lance chuckled. "Indeed."

They weren't aware that they were watched. Watching them through cameras, Ernest smiled at the screen.

"…Well done, Lance." He said, taking a glass of wine too. It definitely amused him… maybe it touched him in its own way. Lance definitely did a great job.

"Maybe should I leave you now, Lance," he said. "Maybe should I let you enjoy your new life from here… you deserve it, after all. Just don't disappoint me, okay?"

Then, he turned off his screen before leaving the room behind him.

Indeed, they were the greatest team. Everyone agreed. They were still the Time Squad Aces, and the number of fans increased. Larry 3000 even asked Lance out for a dinner. He immediately refused, much to the former's dismay.

They were accomplishing their missions perfectly. While Lance could call his partner Astrid in private, he was still known as JT Lazer. In any case, their life went perfectly well. Lance didn't even receive any other calls or threats from Ernest.

He kept his promise: he would leave him alone. Indeed, Lance had already suffered enough. He paid his debt. Now he could live his own life.

Three weeks later, Astrid and Lance went to visit Sydney again, intending to have dinner with her. After all, her brother wanted to introduce Lance to her. He wanted to introduce him as the robot who saved him.

They were enjoying a great time in a fancy restaurant, eating sushi and exchanging pleasantries.

"I was really hoping that Astrid would introduce me to his girlfriend!" Sydney complained. "Or his boyfriend," she chuckled, winking back at Lance.

"Huh…?" He could only say, wondering what she meant.

"Sydney!" Astrid cried out, embarrassed. "What about you, by the way?"

"Hmm… well, there is a girl I like," She chuckled.

What am I doing with them again? Lance thought.

"That's so funny… Astrid talked a lot about you, Lance." She gave him a smile. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

"Me too," Lance replied.

"Though… I can't help but wonder…" She paused, a dreamy look on her face. "I can't help but think that we've already met."


End file.
